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“I know. She’s so good with them too. I’ve never met a child who didn’t love her.”
“We can’t stay. Jubilee needs to go make the rounds and make sure everything is going okay. Although I’m trying to talk her into messing something up on purpose. The council has already asked her to head the entertainment committee for next year.”
“I’d say congratulations, but I’m not sure whether I ought to offer my condolences instead.”
They laughed. “Matt’s going to help me, and people have been asking to have the Grassley family back, so it might end up being easier than this year.”
“Practice makes perfect.”
“If you have a chance, you should try out Griff’s strawberry shortcake. He’s selling it at the empty building where Chi and he are thinking of moving to and it is uh-maz-ing!” Jubilee’s eyes glowed.
“She knows what she’s talking about. She’s already had two servings of it.”
“You had three!”
The look Matt and Jubilee shared made Clara’s heart flip. So precious and beautiful.
Her phone buzzed.
“We’ll let you go!” Matt said, glancing at her phone, then keeping his arm around Jubilee as they walked out of the tent.
Clara had a feeling she knew who was calling on a Saturday, and sure enough, when she pulled her phone out of her pocket, it was her boss, Alexander Hudson.
She laughed to herself because she didn’t even consider not answering, even though she was thinking very strongly of quitting, and even though it was a Saturday and she was not required to work on Saturdays.
She swallowed, then swiped her phone and said, “Hello?”
“Are you coming out to The Cities?”
He called her on a Saturday just to ask that?
“I thought I had until the middle of July to decide.” She really wanted to start her own art business and summer was the time. The only thing that held her back was...not seeing Alexander any more. Which was pathetic.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Her heart dropped. He was going to fire her!
“We’re both going to work remotely from that little town you want to stay in. What’s it called? Strawberry Pie Place or something?”
“Strawberry Sands. It’s a lakeside town.” She paused with her mouth open. “You’re moving here?”
“Yes. I can work remotely. As long as they have good internet and I will make sure they do. I’ll have everything set up in two weeks. Send me the directions. I’ll drive in tonight and we’ll have a meeting to hash everything out. Best place to set up shop. The staff you’ll need to hire. Office equipment you’ll need to purchase and job duties. We’ll end up traveling a lot together as we’ll need to go to The Cities at least once per month for in-person meetings.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Saturday.”
“You’re right. I’ll buy you dinner. There is someplace to eat there, right? Then we’ll talk.”
“Um...I have a stand...at the...Strawberry festival.” She could just picture him laughing at that. So countrified and she’d never felt more like a hick than she did at that moment. She hated that he could make her feel that way, even while she acknowledged that he couldn’t “make” her feel any specific way. It was all in her head.
“Fine. We’ll meet there. Text me directions.”
Her phone shut off, although it took a couple of long moments before her hand dropped from her ear.
Alexander was coming. Here. To her booth. With her artwork. Wanting to talk. He was going to set up his office and work from Strawberry Sands.
None of those things felt even remotely like reality. What in the world was she going to do?
~~~
